I’ve been spending a bit of time in the Old Testament lately, thanks to Scripture Union’s Daily Bread series on Jeremiah 11-30.

Too often these days we hear of hypocrisy within the church and we might wonder what God thinks about it. In Jeremiah I’ve met afresh with a God who has utter hatred for deception amongst His people.

Take chapter 11, for example. Here we see a God who is disgusted at his people and their ‘conspiracy’ (v9). He declares that He ‘will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.’ (v11)

When we see grievous sin in the church our natural response is hopefully to pray for the victims and to pray that those committing the sin shall repent. However, I was struck by God’s command to Jeremiah:

‘Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.’ (v14)

There is such a profound weight and gravity to that verse. The wickedness of these people has reached its fulfillment and their fate is decided. Have nothing to do with them, God says. And do not pray for them. Their destruction is irreversible.

But, you may say, is this not just the God of the Old Testament talking? The God of the Old Testament who seems rather interested in ‘The Day of Destruction’ and similar.

In reality, the more time I spend in the Old Testament, the greater the sense I gain of the continuity of God’s character across all time.

The God of the New Testament has wrath too! Jesus didn’t make a whip and drive people out of the temple for a laugh. That was serious business – and judgment.

Not to mention Jesus’ calling down of judgement in Matthew:

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Or what about the letter of Jude for some disturbing instances of New Testament wrath?

In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these people speak abusively against whatever they do not understand, and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals – these are the very things that destroy them.Woe to them!…They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

Blackest darkness. Forever. These are weighty things.

What can we do when there is such darkness? Remember what wisdom says, in the Old Testament:

The light of the righteous shines brightly

Maybe the only reason the New Testament seems comparatively more full of grace is because it’s focused on Jesus. That doesn’t express a shift in the amount of grace God has; that’s actually illogical. It just represents a shift in the focus of God’s redemptive narrative at the time. Jesus’ appearance being the point in time when God says to his people that despite all their iniquity “Here is the way back”.

But that’s not the first time God provided a way back:

“‘But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’

“This is what the Lord says: “‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honour, and they will not be disdained. Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me; I will punish all who oppress them.

Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the Lord.

“‘So you will be my people, and I will be your God.’”

And yes, that’s from Jeremiah. Chapter 30. It’s worth a detailed read.

Yours trying to shine brightly,

Alison